Throne of Chaos
by BladeMaster07
Summary: It is a year after the Siege of Sentinel and the Iliac Bay is in a state of confusion and shifting power. The mighty city of Wayrest and its influential and devious Queen, Elysana, finds that allies have deserted them as she fights for her throne.


Book 1: Throne of Chaos

Chapter 1: Crack in the Throne

Even to the mightiest Lords of the land, she seemed imposing and powerful; able to seemingly tower over the tallest men and make the heartiest noble cower at her voice. Her beauty was astonishing, even at her age, as her simple silver dress hugged every alluring curve, whilst hiding them at the same time. A sheet of golden blonde hair fell onto her slender, delicate shoulders and gleamed in the light, framing her slim, beautiful face perfectly. Her brilliant emerald eyes pierced the hearts of those who stood in front of her and caused the most handsome man to look away, blushing at her intense gaze.

The way she sat on her intricate obsidian throne, with one leg resting on top of the other, her foot dangling loosely in their sparkling silver heeled shoes only added to her allure. A small slit in the side of her dress opened up from this pose, revealing long and slender thighs in a seductive manner, while her hands were clasped firmly together on her lap, staring unblinkingly ahead of her, as if waiting for someone to walk through the doors opposite of her.

To her left, an equally beautiful girl sat in a much simpler wooden throne-like chair, her hands clasped like the woman in the obsidian throne, and sitting in almost the exact same pose. To a casual observer, the women were identical, with the same golden hair that cascaded over her shoulders and the same piercing emerald eyes that seemed to stare into a person's very heart.

However, when one looked closely, they would notice subtle differences, the most prominent being that the girl in the wooden throne was quite a bit younger, by perhaps fifteen years. Her face was also slimmer, and her skin was not as creamy as her elder but more pale, and while her eyes were stunning, they also had a conniving and sinister feel to them, like she was always plotting something while she stared at you.

The two women stared at the door opposite their chairs, as did a young man who sat next to the young woman, except he did not stare unblinkingly at the door across the room. Instead, he looked around anxiously, his pale and narrow face clearly showing his discomfort at being next to the unmoving girl. His dirty blonde hair bounced around his ears as his head turned this way and that, and his green eyes squinted slightly as he looked back to the door that was getting all the attention while his skinny fingers tapped nervously, their pace growing faster and faster as the silence got more and more drawn out.

On his left, the young girl continued to stare at the door intently, but she heard the boy's fingers tapping keenly and her stony face twitched ever so slightly as he got faster and louder with each tap. Her slender hand shot out suddenly, her fist closed as she slammed it into the boys' smaller hands, crushing his skinny fingers between the wood of the chair and the hard fist of the not-so-harmless woman.

The girls hand was back in her lap in a flash, clasped tightly again as her stare never left the door while she ignored the quiet whimpering of the punished man boy next to her, though if one looked closely, a small smirk came upon the corners of her mouth, though it vanished in an instant as the hall went back to being still.

Several armed men in the vast hall glanced over at the duo of deadly women, a few of them exchanging knowing glances at the boys' expense. The air in the hall was thick and tense, as the sound of clacking feet echoed in the distance outside the great oak doors that everyone's attention was focused on. Two guards stood on either side, their gleaming halberds nearly touching tips a dozen feet above the ground at the center of the door, while they remained still and quiet.

Off to the side, a small group of men in simple white togas and tan tunics sat in the shadows of the overhanging balcony above. The most prominent of the group was an older man, roughly in his late forties with faded grey hair and extremely tanned skin.

His stare wasn't fixed on the door, like everybody else's, but on the older woman on the impressive throne. His eyes were an exotic almond shaped and coloured light brown, hinting away from his Bretic heritage to a more Ra'Gadic one. His stare was not as intense as the beautiful woman's, but was more calming and gentle yet calculating at the same time, with experience and wisdom etched into every wrinkle on his face as well as a humbleness that betrayed his muscular body. His were eyes sombre and doleful hinting at a troubled past, or perhaps a troubled present and an aura of power radiated from him, almost demanding respect from those around him.

To his right sat almost what seemed like the opposite to the humble old man. The young face was pale and unmarred, and his eyes shone like crystals, while his handsome face held a cocky smirk on it, revealing perfect teeth, as his slender frame betrayed the muscular body beneath. His fingers tapped on the arm of the chair as well, but he knew to remain silent as he did so, his arrogant expression fixed on the young boy among the two women in the room. Unlike the older man sitting calmly next to him, this man had an aura of confidence and cockiness, as well as arrogance to things around him.

The hall itself was inspiring, as the roof rose fifty feet above the white marble floor, forming a high dome above them, and was covered with intricate paintings and frescos, and the wall were covered in overlapping bas reliefs of old Kings and Queens, as well as depictions of Gods. Stained glass windows were spaced evenly around the room, letting colourful streaks of light pour into the room as the heroes and saints depicted on them kept silent visage on the room.

Everything in the hall seemed frozen in time, until the footsteps in the hall beyond the door grew closer, and heads began to turn and stares were met, as silent conversations of facial expressions chattered away in the grand marble hall.

The steps stopped suddenly, and there was complete silence outside the doors, until.... Boom, boom, boom!, came the heavy knocking from behind the oak doors. The guards standing inside glanced at the woman on the throne, before raising their axed weapons away from each other and grasping a large golden handle each and pulling the doors into the hall, disappearing from sight behind the mighty portals.

In the doorway stood an old man, dressed in a mauve toga and with a deep purple sash running across his chest from the top left to bottom right, stitched intricately with golden eagles and silver stars. The man himself was aged, with pure white hair, an unblemished but wrinkled face and pale skin, going hand in hand with his cold eyes and smug expression. Behind him followed a tall but nervous looking youth, who wore basic tanned clothes and carried a large sack over his shoulders that jingled slightly as he shifted its weight.

They were flanked by two guards, armed and dressed similarly to the two door guards and as he walked into the hall, the doors were shut behind him, the two doormen returning to their statue-like poses as their halberds crossed above the door again.

The toga adorned man stepped forwards, stopping on an elaborate mosaic of a deep red rose and bowed respectfully to the woman in front of him, his eyes looking up as a sinister smile etched onto his old face to reveal slightly yellow and crooked teeth.

"Lady Elysana, how good to see you again." He said, in a voice that fit his appearance well, crackling out from his skinny throat.

The younger woman scowled at the man, leaning forwards slightly in her seat while seething quietly. The addressed woman remained calm, staring into the man's cold eyes with incredible intensity for such a frail looking lady as she spoke.

"Queen Elysana to you, Alexandre Vanne." She said firmly, her voice soft but far from gentle; calm yet demanding as she had practiced for years. It was a deadly combination.

The man bowed again, but not as low and his eyes never left the woman, Elysana, as he did so, causing the younger woman behind the Queen to shift slightly again. Alexandre's gaze flickered past the Queen in front of him to the fidgety girl and a smirk came across his face.

"Ah, Miss Vienne." he said, his voice spitting acid with every word. "How lovely to see you as well." He did not bow to the young girl, Vienne, but merely stared at her for a second longer, smirking still as he awaited the expected response from the headstrong girl.

"Tis' never a pleasure when it involves you, Alexandre." She spat, eying the man with a deep loathing, though she sat back in her chair. Her voice was rather harsher than one would expect for such a regal looking girl, and carried an accent that did not fit her noble status.

The old man simply chuckled as he looked back at Elysana, who remained expressionless at the exchange between the two, allowing her daughter to vent now, so she wouldn't interrupt during the actual discussion.

There was a silence in the room, as the old man stared at Elysana, who stared right back, her body calm and relaxed but her eyes intense and focused, drilling into the old man, who blinked first.

"Shall we get down to it then?" he asked, his cold eyes drifting around the room to observe all the people who watched the exchange before turning back the Queen.

Elysana nodded, and remained quiet, indicating that the man should begin. Alexandre scowled as he cleared his throat; hating how she controlled every meeting they had with ease. He was no foolish diplomat either, having served the Lords of Daggerfall for nearly forty years and seeing his fair share of diplomatic meetings.

"As we near the end of the first year since the end of the Siege of Sentinel, once minor changes in the Bay are becoming more noticeable as the powers shift." He said, referring to the infamous invasion of Imperial forces into Hammerfell.

"As I'm sure you're well aware, High Rock has become more divided because of the events than any other province."

Elysanas' eyes narrowed at the words, knowing well that many vassal states had slipped away from her grasp while she was focused down south. Her ambitions had gotten the best of her, as did her need to best her stepbrother, King Helseth.

"The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the Treaty of Koegria and its terms; which, may I add, Daggerfall has lived up to accurately."

The Treaty the man spoke of had been signed exactly two months before the war in Sentinel had begun, and Elysana still enjoyed the benefits Wayrest gained from it. Her mind raced as she waited for the man to continue. There was no issue with the Treaty that she knew of...

"The Treaty clearly states that while Wayrest is the dominating power in the province, than Daggerfall must pay a tribute to continue trade with Wayrest, as well as her vassal states. It also kept swords in their sheaths and brought a peace about the land which hasn't been known for years." He said, stating a section in the treaty.

Elysana stared hard at the man, her eyes almost daring him to say what she knew he was going to say next, though she remained at ease with the rest of her body.

"It has become clear, recently, that the state of Northpoint, Sharnhelm and everything north of Raven Spring has officially declared their independence from Wayrest, including the unfortunate separation of Jehenna from High Rock."

The Queen finally broke her unmoving pose as her hand clenched the thrones arm tightly as she remembered vividly how the states had broken off, Jehenna even becoming part of Skyrim. In front of her, Alexandre smiled inwardly, loving the clear anguish he was causing the woman and the fact he normally never gained the upper hand in their meetings.

"My Lord, King Leon Ancois Daggerfallian has come to the educated conclusion, that Wayrest is no longer the dominating power in High Rock anymore, and as the Treaty state, it is quite clear that the requirements you have to meet are... well not being met anymore." He said slyly, noting with a glance that many off to the side were watching closely now with wide eyes.

"In the last paragraph of said Treaty, it clearly states that once a single requirement is failed to be met, than the Treaty itself is void and all other conditions are void as well." He declared with some flair, before snapping his fingers above his head. The young boy that accompanied him scurried forwards, the contents of the sack he carried jingling distinctly on his shoulder. He dropped it in front of the Queen's throne and hurried back behind his master, eyes always on the floor and a slightly terrified look on his face.

Elysana craned her neck to look inside the open top of the burlap sack and saw, not the expected gold payment from Daggerfall, but instead, pieces of scrap iron and some cheap iron cutlery. Her heart raced as her face contorted into one of fury, marring her beautiful features as she stood up from her throne, reaching an impressive height as she looked down upon the devious old man with contempt. As she spoke however, her voice was calmer than one would expect from someone in her position.

"Indeed, the Treaty is nullified, as are all conditions to be met by Daggerfall." She looked hard at the man, hating every inch of him, but knowing that her ambitions were the reason for this. "The times are changing rapidly, and Wayrest grows stronger and more advanced by the day, while petty Daggerfall grasps onto dying traditions and its old ways like a child would grasp its blanket."

She took a step forward, coming down from the raised dais where she sat, towering above the man who attempted to match her stare.

"Take your scrap iron back to your King, and tell him that he may break the Treaty and cease all tributes with Wayrest if it is his wish." She paused for a moment, glancing pointedly at the old, dark-skinned man to the side of the room who remained the calmest of the host of people in the hall before looking back at Alexandre.

"However, when you return to your King, you can inform him that Wayrest merchants will no longer be setting foot in Daggerfall, or docking at your harbour, thus cutting all trade between the cities. We will make sure those states that remain in our power, will do so as well."

The shock that came to the old man's face was clear and satisfying to the irritated Queen, but he quickly regained composure and nodded his head.

"Indeed I shall inform my Lord of those words, but let me give you a warning of my own, fair lady." He said, glancing around the room so all would listen. His gaze drifted over to a group of men who wore deep blue robes, who seated themselves separate from everyone else, and were clearly outsiders from the city, though seemed familiar with the hall.

"Watch your back, Wolf Queen, for even you yourself said that change is hitting the land hard, and while you may not know it, new ideas are being told and accepted, as radical people step forward to take gain in the chaos that is ensuing. Not even the mightiest nation can resist its people when they desire change!"

He let the last few sentences hang in the air, before nodding discreetly at the group of out-of-place men in the corner and bowing quickly before turning and leaving. The doors opened only a crack for him, though he paid it no attention as he made his way swiftly through the marble halls with a smirk on his face.

In the hall, the silence was thick and menacing, as Elysana remained standing where she had been, a stare that could kill etched onto her face as she glared at the back of the retreating man.

As Alexandre's footsteps began fading away, the hall broke out into urgent whispers as many men walked away in a hurry to go and spread the news of the meeting, while other noble men remained and spoke to each other.

Elysana spun around and walked off past her throne and through a door behind it, two guards following at a respectful distance behind her. The young woman, Vienne, stood as well, shooting an evil glare at the young man next to her, fixed her simple dress and began walking towards the doors.

"Sister, wait! Where are you going?" the young boy called out, jumping up from his chair, with a scowl on his face. "Should we not go meet with mother, with Sophia and Yvonne?"

Vienne made a dismissive noise and continued walking, drawing the eyes of the unmarried, young nobles in the hall as her slender body moved like a willow tree, her long legs taking lengthy strides, as her leather boots clacked with each step. She exited the door, and adjusted something on the outside of her thigh that remained hidden from view, before hurrying off through the halls to the main gates.

Still the hall, the young, cocky man who had sat off to the side turned to the elder man next to him, and spoke softly,

"What do you figure that lunatic was talking about?"

The old man glanced over to regard the young man, but his gaze floated back over to the blue robed men in the corner as he spoke, his voice coming out softly.

"Exactly what he said, Timothy."

"War?" the young man, Timothy, asked with eagerness that the old man did not miss.

He shook his head slightly, watching the strange men talking. "Perhaps in the future. But for now... Change." He said simply, standing from his chair, patting the rather confused youth on the shoulder and walking away, staring at the men in the robes as he exited the hall, unable to hear their whispered conversation.

The same robed men watched as the dark skinned Breton walked past them, and they lowered their voices or stopped all together. They had heard the old man and the young one talking a few feet away from them, and they could only smile deviously. Change was indeed about to come to the Bay, and the tallest robed man, who carried an air of power around him smiled as he planned on making those changes happen.


End file.
